How do you feel about Obama's safety net? It is still a State issue in his mind. It's just lip service and hot air.

edit on 9-5-2012 by jibeho because: (no reason given)

The funny thing is, everything is a state issue as far as Ron Paul is concerned - everything. He won't have to risk showing an opinion one way or
another in the fantasy land of him being president and none of those that worship him on ATS seem to have a problem with that. Where's the outcry on
that then?

Obama’s position on same-sex marriage has vacillated over the years. He endorsed gay marriage during a 1996 run for the Illinois Senate, then
opposed it when he ran for US Senate in 2004 and for president in 2008. ...

Biden stated plainly during a vice presidential debate with Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 that neither “Barack Obama nor I support redefining, from
a civil side, what constitutes marriage. We do not support that.’’

On Sunday, Biden appeared to soften the collective stance of the Democratic ticket but tried not to overstep his authority. “Look, I am vice
president of the United States of America. The president sets the policy,’’ Biden said. “I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men
marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying [one] another are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights,
all the civil liberties. And, quite frankly, I don’t see much of a distinction beyond that.’’

Some gay rights activists characterized the vice president’s remarks as a seal of approval on same-sex marriage. But Biden’s office said after the
interview that his words should be interpreted merely as an assertion that gay couples deserve the same rights and protections as their heterosexual
counterparts.

That's 'getting the same rights' ... not 'in favor of gay marriage'.
Looks like he doesn't consider marriage to be a 'right' ...

eta ....

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
This solidifies my decision to vote for him again.

Originally posted by KonquestAbySS
Still doesn't answer my question on how Obama thinks this is going to change anything for him...

Did Obama say he thinks this is going to change something for him? Did I miss something?

I have never been more proud of my president! He stood up for equality, even though it may lose him some independent votes. This solidifies my
decision to vote for him again.

And this, of course, is why he did this. He throws gays a bone(pardon the pun) and gets to look all misty-eyed and wistful, standing up to the mean
ole
bigots who oppose gay marriage. Just in time for November. Lemme say this: I don't give a # about gay marriage, it's not my issue. But, as a political
dissenter, someone who disagrees, strongly, with US foreign policy; our relationship with Israel;, someone who believes 9/11 was a false flag etc;
since this president believes that he can use the military to arrest americans(NDAA), assassinate Americans without due process guaranteed under the
5th amendment(al-alawi and his son plus god knows who else); I'm much more concerned about ending up in one of the FEMA camps that are coming, or just
catching a hellfire missile to the face via drone strike(you don't really think they're just for surveillance, do you?)for opposing the state, than I
am about Adam and Steve.

Originally posted by FlyersFan
At the VP debates with Gov. Palin, Biden said he didn't support gay marriage but that he supported gay partner rights ... like visitation rights at
the hospital and insurance, etc etc. Palin and Biden actually said they agreed with each other. I remember seeing the exchange on TV. Did he change
his mind?

Here's what he said:

Biden stated plainly during a vice presidential debate with Republican Sarah Palin in 2008 that neither “Barack Obama nor I support redefining, from
a civil side, what constitutes marriage. We do not support that.’’

Neither of them supported legal action to redefine marriage in 2008. He wasn't talking about his personal opinion. Last week, he stated a
personal opinion, saying that he is "comfortable" with equal civil rights and liberties. He didn't mention anything about legal action or the
redefinition of marriage.

But I like to watch a little bit of the cable news to see what they're pushing this week (I don't watch that morning show
because I don't like either one of them). I saw FOX pushing Obama's "War on Marriage" yesterday...

It's hilarious! First they talk about Obama's
"War on Marriage", but when Shepherd Smith says the right has long been on the wrong side of this issue, they changed their headline
immediately. Oops!

Anyways, I agree with ya that it will cost him votes. I still think that considering we are
dealing with poltiicians there has to be a purpose to his statement.

You may be right. In the interview, he talked about how his daughters' friend has gay parents and they were talking about it at dinner table... I find
it VERY easy for me to believe that his daughters and his wife have more to do with his position than politics. But his interview about it? I'm pretty
comfortable with the idea that North Carolina's action has sparked this discussion up again. Did he use it to his advantage? Most likely. 99.999999%
of politicians would.

You know, I've ALWAYS understood that he's a politician... and all that entails...

Originally posted by FlyersFan
Comeon ... were you ever really NOT going to??

It's true, At the beginning of this cycle, when Ron Paul was an option, I seriously considered voting for him. Maybe you weren't posting a lot then,
but I was asking about him and reading a LOT about his positions and history. I loved some of his ideas and still do. But the more I found out about
him, the more I was turned off.

Reality check for those who believe in Obama's "evolution" or perhaps "devolution"

Take, for instance, a Windy City Times article from 1996, in which Obama, then a candidate for the Illinois State Senate, affirmed his
”unequivocal support for gay marriage.”

“I favor legalizing same-sex marriages, and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages,” Obama proclaimed in an interview with the newspaper
(in a separate survey for a gay political group, he also issued the same sentiment).

Curiously, by 1998 — just two years later — Obama’s “favor” had turned lukewarm on the issue. During yet another election cycle, he
answered that his position on the issue was “undecided.”

In 2004 (yes, another election year), Obama took a more middle-ground route, as he publicly supported domestic partnerships and civil unions. He
also took the opportunity to say that, unlike his statement in 1998, he did not support gay marriage. “I am a fierce supporter of
domestic-partnership and civil-union laws,” he said. “I am not a supporter of gay marriage as it has been thrown about primarily just as a
strategic issue.”

Hmmm catch that last part.

“I am a fierce supporter of domestic-partnership and civil-union laws,” he said. “I am not a supporter of gay marriage as it has been thrown
about primarily just as a strategic issue.”

“I am not in favor of gay marriage,” Obama said. “But when you start playing around with constitutions, just to prohibit somebody who cares
about another person, it just seems to me that’s not what America’s about.”

In 2010, after already assuming the White House, Obama began to set the groundwork, it seems, for an “evolution” on the issue. Only, at no
point did he mention the 1996 endorsement he purportedly gave same-sex unions. In fact, while discussing the issue, he acted as though he had always
held a position against gay marriage.

“I have been to this point unwilling to sign on to same-sex marriage primarily because of my understandings of the traditional definitions of
marriage,” he said. “But I also think you’re right that attitudes evolve, including mine.”

The rest is Obama history.... Remember all of that the next time Obama opens his mouth.

As The Blaze has already reported, Obama’s campaign quickly sent a fundraising e-mail, Tweeted and began promoting the president’s
“newfound” stance on the issue.

Considering this past history, one wonders if the press will take the time to explore the motivations behind the president’s constant ideological
changes — particularly during electoral cycles.

He also offered the same response that Ron Paul has been saying for years. Obama thinks it should be up to the states. So Obama came out in support,
but offered the same solution that Ron Paul offered (and the Dems had been admonishing as not enough).

So again.. less and less reason to vote Obama, more reason to vote Ron Paul.

Obama's plan for supporting gay marriage is the same plan as Ron Paul's who was offering the same freedom long ago.

I think he was forced to come out for gay marriage before the election. I also think he has always been for it, At least in a civil rights way. He
locked up the gay vote when he got rid of Don't ask Don't Tell IMO. This issue will garner him some donations but lose some votes with the Black and
Religious community's. He was better off waiting till after the election to come out for gay marriage IMO. I think the base and his VP backed him
into a corner. This is a very touchy subject with some people and I feel his 2008 for Civil Unions against Gay Marriage was his strongest position
politically and should have carried that stance till after the elections.

I find it a little too coincidental that Obama flip-flops on his position on gay marriage two days after the major GLBT groups threaten to withhold
donations to his campaign. If he truly has changed his view that the government should not be in the marriage business, then good for him. Although,
I seriously doubt it.

Realistically, this will have zero affect on the vote. There are very few in this country that will make gay marriage the issue that determines their
vote. Most will determine their vote based on if there is a D or and R after the candidate's name. The rest will vote based on real issues like
jobs, taxes, national defense, etc.

Because 4 years ago, an SNL actress and Katie Couric buried his competition for him...and the only requirement for being elected President was to NOT
be a Republican.

Also, he doesn't actually believe in it, if you go by his previous statements on it. He is simply sticking his finger in the wind to see which way
it's going.

While I feel it's a long time coming, and we'll see it legal within a decade, Obama just made the first mistake of this campaign, as he just drove
millions of religious zealots over to Romney's side. Thing is, unlike a lot of lackadaisical liberal young folks, these fundies will VOTE. We've seen
it before. Morally, the right thing to do, but campaign-wise, an error to be sure.

Even still though, as much as I feel Obama's been a do-nothing President (as I predicted he'd be), more than that, I feel Romney is a total crook, and
just a slimy dude in general. I'm still voting my conscience, even though I know he won't get elected, but you all have fun deciding between the two
crap choices the mass media says you only have.

He also offered the same response that Ron Paul has been saying for years. Obama thinks it should be up to the states. So Obama came out in
support, but offered the same solution that Ron Paul offered (and the Dems had been admonishing as not enough).

So again.. less and less reason to vote Obama, more reason to vote Ron Paul.

Obama's plan for supporting gay marriage is the same plan as Ron Paul's who was offering the same freedom long ago.

Originally posted by garygnu
I wonder if Berry is finally going to come out as our gay president -

The tabloids already beat you to that ... google up the murdered church organist Donald Young. Members of Obama's Church Killed
ETA .. he wouldn't be the first. Buchanan is widely believed to have been gay.

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